Posted on 30 December 2025:

Creativity Confluence: Honoring Uday Shankar & Rabindranath Tagore

The 125th birth anniversary of the legendary dancer Sri Uday Shankar was celebrated with grandeur and grace through Creativity Confluence—a visionary initiative by Natyashri Smt Debjani Chatterjee, Director and Artistic Head of Prabaha Kalabhoomi. 

This day-long lecture-demonstration program beautifully merged the academic and performative aspects of Indian dance, paying tribute not only to Uday Shankar’s pioneering spirit but also to the timeless genius of Guru Rabindranath Tagore.

In Bengal, Tagore’s works are inseparable from the repertoire of dance practitioners, and thus the program’s theme revolved around his creativity. Creativity Confluence became a vibrant space where literature, music and dance intertwined, with five senior dance masters sharing their unique interpretations of Tagore’s vision. Esteemed speakers included Padmashri Smt Mamata Shankar (Shankar style), Sri Ashimbandhu Bhattacharya (Kathak), Sri Somnath Kutti representing Dr Thankamani Kutti of Kalamandalam Kolkata (Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Kathakali), and Jonaki Sarkar of Dancers Guild (Nabanritya).

The performances were equally enchanting 

Prabaha Kalabhoomi presented two soulful pieces connecting Uday Shankar’s iconic work Kalpana to Bharatanatyam and Tagore, directed by Smt Debjani Chatterjee. Dancers from Mamata Shankar’s MSDC, Dancers Guild, and Ashimbandhu Bhattacharya’s Upasanana Centre brought Tagore’s compositions alive in their own genres, weaving a tapestry of rhythm, poetry and devotion.

This celebration was not just an homage but a living dialogue—where Uday Shankar’s creativity met Tagore’s eternal artistry, reminding us that Indian performing arts are a confluence of thought, tradition and innovation.